(Left) Actor/Producer Margot Robbie attends the ‘Barbie’ Press Junket Photo Call at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. Photo by Eric Charbonneau. (Right) Tim Burton attends the world premiere of Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ on November 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Netflix.
Preview:
Margot Robbie is in early talks for the remake of ‘Attack of the 50ft Woman’.
Burton and studio backers Warner Bros. are in the process of finding a new writer but they have also begun discussions with a potential star: Margot Robbie.
30487
Robbie, who of course has a solid professional relationship with the studio following the huge success of ‘Barbie’, is reportedly in talks to lead the new movie and produce via her company LuckyChap.
It’s still mostly living in rumor territory for now, but we can certainly see a fun version of the story with a giant Robbie flinging cars around.
1958’s ‘Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.’ Photo: Allied Artists Pictures Corporation.
The 1958 original, written by Mark Hanna and directed by Nathan Hertz, is considered more a pulpy cult classic than a truly great movie (though it does boast one of the most iconic posters of all time).
Allison Hayes stars as Nancy Archer, a wealthy but extremely troubled socialite whose problems include mental health issues, a history with drink and a philandering husband (Harry, played by William Hudson) who would rather spend time with his latest girlfriend than help his wife.
One night, Nancy has an encounter with a strange alien craft and its giant occupant, and the incident leaves her growing to enormous size. Using her newfound stature, she seeks revenge on her cheating other half.
Most impressively, the movie was made for $88,000. We’d guess a new take will have a significantly higher budget.
When will the new ‘Attack of the 50ft Woman’ be in theaters?
With the script still needing fresh drafts and Robbie nowhere near officially attached yet, don’t expect a release date to be forthcoming for a while.
But if you’re in need of Burton content, he’s executive producer (and director or several episodes) for the new season of Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’, which drops this week.
Allison Hayes in 1958’s ‘Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.’ Photo: Allied Artists Pictures Corporation.
(Left) Tim Burton attends the world premiere of Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ on November 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Netflix. (Right) 1958’s ‘Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.’ Photo: Allied Artists Pictures Corporation.
Preview:
Tim Burton is making a deal to direct a new ‘Attack of the 50 Foot Woman’.
‘Gone Girl’s Gillian Flynn will write the script.
Warner Bros. is backing the new movie.
Now that he has finally wrapped shooting his ‘Beetlejuice’ sequel –– which Warner Bros. has recently revealed is titled ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’–– Tim Burton can split his time between getting that movie finished and his duties on the second season of ‘Wednesday’.
But if the studio has its way, he’ll also be figuring out development on another movie project, as Deadline reports that the filmmaker is attached to direct a new take on 1950s sci-fi ‘Attack of the 50 Foot Woman’.
30487
What’s the story of ‘Attack of the 50ft Woman’?
Allison Hayes in 1958’s ‘Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.’ Photo: Allied Artists Pictures Corporation.
The 1958 original, written by Mark Hanna and directed by Nathan Hertz, is considered more a pulpy cult classic than a truly great movie (though it does boast one of the most iconic posters of all time).
Allison Hayes stars as Nancy Archer, a wealthy but extremely troubled socialite whose problems include mental health issues, a history with drink and a philandering husband (Harry, played by William Hudson) who would rather spend time with his latest girlfriend than help his wife.
One night, Nancy has an encounter with a strange alien craft and its giant occupant, and the incident leaves her growing to enormous size. Using her newfound stature, she seeks revenge on her cheating other half.
Most impressively, the movie was made for $88,000. We’d guess a new take would have a significantly higher budget.
While the story certainly sounds like something that Burton could get a lot out of (after all, retro imagery is often a part of his movies, and he even turned a set of trading cards into campy sci-fi movie ‘Mars Attacks!’), he’ll need a script.
Fortunately, one is underway from ‘Gone Girl’ writer Gillian Flynn, who feels like the right person to tackle a conflicted woman’s story.
Flynn’s work has been adapted several times, including into HBO TV series ‘Sharp Objects’ and movie take on ‘Dark Places’, which starred Charlize Theron, but largely flew under the radar.
She’s currently also working on a new small screen version of ‘Dark Places’ for HBO/Max, so Flynn is certainly busy right now. Outside of adaptations of her work, she wrote crime thriller ‘Widows’ for director Steve McQueen and developed an American version of British TV series ‘Utopia’.
When is Burton’s ‘Beetlejuice’ sequel arriving in theaters?
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ will be hitting screens on September 6th this year, taking advantage of the Labor Day weekend.
Tim Burton attends the world premiere of Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ on November 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix.
HBO’s acclaimed limited series “Sharp Objects” may turn out not to be so limited after all.
Showrunner Marti Noxon is hinting that the miniseries based on Gillian Flynn’s novel could return for a second season. If it did, it would follow in the footsteps of network sister “Big Little Lies,” which was also based on a book without a sequel and intended to be a one-off.
During a keynote address at SXSW, Noxon noted that “Sharp Objects” didn’t delve into many aspects of the life of protagaonist Camille (Amy Adams).
“Maybe there will be a sequel and we’ll get to find out,” she said. “Gillian [Flynn] and I have some thoughts on it.”
Noxon also mentioned that she had initially envisioned “Sharp Objects” as an ongoing series that focused not just on Camille but on the people of the town Wind Gap.
Even if HBO wanted a second season, getting the team back together again — particularly Adams and Golden Globe winner Patricia Clarkson — could prove to be a tough endeavor.
Noxon herself told The Hollywood Reporter last August, after the finale, that it would be near impossible. “It’s off the table in terms of, people are going on to their next projects, and it was a pretty hard A-team to assemble,” she said.
“It’s not hard to imagine from a story standpoint, because obviously we love these characters, but from a technical standpoint it seems like a long shot.”
Of course, getting the cast of “Big Little Lies” together for a second season seemed impossible, too. But it happened (AND they got Meryl Streep to join them).
Still, even if Noxon thinks there’s more story to tell, she also feels that “there are certain things that are just limited, and should be.”
Gillian Flynn (author of “Gone Girl” and “Sharp Objects”), is adapting the British series for Amazon.
“Utopia” is about a group of young adults who are mercilessly hunted by a shadowy deep state organization after they come into possession of the cult underground graphic novel, “Utopia.”
Lane will play “tough and feral” Jessica Hyde, who believes all the answers may lie in the mysterious graphic novel.
“As I’ve been writing Utopia and trying to imagine the actor who could possibly embody Jessica Hyde, Sasha Lane has constantly kicked her way into my mind,” said creator, executive producer and showrunner Flynn. “She has the shape-shifting ability to feel at once raw, unpredictable and a little unnerving while also making you want to wrap your arms around her. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have her play this utterly unique character.”
Flynn got involved in the project when it was set up at HBO with “Gone Girl” director David Fincher. But Fincher and HBO were reportedly unable to come to terms on the show’s budget. With Amazon throwing large sums of money at projects including the massive “Lord of the Rings” series, budget doesn’t seem to be an issue here.
Lane’s breakthrough role came in Andrea Arnold’s 2016 Cannes-winning indie “American Honey.” You can see her next in the “Hellboy” reboot.
In terms of the winter movie cycle, Thanksgiving is a great time to get caught up.
You have a couple of days off, are probably stuffed with, er, stuffing, and want to be prepared for the Christmas movie onslaught that is just around the corner, when both Mary PoppinsandSpider-Man will be vying for your attention (amongst many, many others). So we’ve prepared a handy viewing guide for the Thanksgiving break, for when you want to escape to the theater with your loved ones, or leave them behind while they digest their turkey and watch whatever football game is on. And don’t worry, if you want to watch Netflix instead, we’ve got that covered, too.
‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald‘
Warner Bros/Wizarding World
Remember “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” 2016’s ambitious but somewhat confusing fantasy romp that was supposed to serve as an extension of the lucrative Warner Bros. franchise but instead was kind of just huh? Well, they made another one! And this one is much better.
With Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne, again) dispatched to Paris to track down the powerful Credence (Ezra Miller) and foil the plot of villainous wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), the movie adds some international intrigue, a more admissibly knotty plot and, thanks to an appearance by sexy young Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law), some concrete connections between the various strands of this franchise. Just be warned — before you pile the family into the station wagon, it might be a good idea to re-watch the first movie. Consider that your magic spell for understanding “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.”
‘Widows‘
Fox
Given the pedigree, it’s very clear that “Widows” isn’t your run-of-the-mill thriller. Based on a British prime time series from 1983, it concerns a group of women (among them: Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki and Cynthia Erivo) who are forced into a sticky situation when their criminal husbands are killed in a heist-gone-wrong.
Directed by Academy Award-winner Steve McQueen and co-written by Gillian Flynn (who wrote “Gone Girl” and “Sharp Objects”), this is a movie that thrills on both an intellectual and visceral level. “Ocean’s 8” it is not.
‘The Favourite‘
Fox
This is the time of year when the studios unleash their stuffy period movies and, yes, there are even a few of those this year. But “The Favourite” is not one of them.
Rambunctious, sexy, and unpredictable, it’s the antithesis of every boring costume drama that they throw Oscars at with willful abandon. This is electrically alive in a way few films, period or otherwise, ever are, anchored by a trio of brilliant female performers (Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz) and some of the finest direction this year (courtesy of Greek genius Yorgos Lanthimos). Set during the reign of Queen Anne (Colman) in the early part of the 18th century, it features palace intrigue, love triangles, and people getting pushed into muddy ditches. What more do you want?
‘Ralph Breaks the Internet‘
Disney
In the sequel to the hit 2012 animated film, Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) head to the Internet, where they fall in with online auctions, meme-creation, and a particularly violent “Grand Theft Auto”-style game called “Slaughter Race” that is lorded over by a bad-ass, leather-clad ringleader named Shank (Gal Gadot). Also, the Disney Princesses show up. As you can imagine, it’s a lot of fun.
“Ralph Breaks the Internet” is one of those rare family sequels that won’t leave you with a toothache from it being so sweet, there’s actual pathos and emotionality but nothing feels syrupy or forced and it’s honestly one of the most visually ravishing animated features you’re ever likely to see.
‘Green Book‘
Universal
Up until this point, Peter Farrelly has directed as one-half of the Farrelly Brothers — serving as the tag-team provocateurs behind gross-out extravaganzas like “Dumb and Dumber,” “There’s Something About Mary,” and the underrated classic “Kingpin.” So it’s interesting to see Farrelly emerge as something of an Oscar frontrunner for his work directing “Green Book,” a based-on-a-true-story racial drama starring Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen.
In the film. Ali plays Don Shirley, a classical pianist, who hires New York tough guy Tony Vallelonga (Mortensen) to escort him on a tour of the South. This could be the feel-good movie of the fall, which makes it a perfect after-Thanksgiving family outing.
‘Creed II‘
MGM
Finally. The follow-up to 2015’s brilliant “Rocky” refresh “Creed” is now upon us. Let us give thanks.
In “Creed II,” Michael B. Jordan returns as Adonis Creed, the son of Apollo Creed, who this time turns to going toe-to-doe with Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), the son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), who famously killed Apollo in the ring (in 1985’s Cold War classic “Rocky IV“). Oh, and Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) is still around! So there’s that. Hopefully the sequel builds on the intensity and excitement of the first film, while supplying some new wrinkles as well. We can already feel ourselves getting inspired.
‘Roma‘
Netflix
Yes, “Roma” is a Netflix movie. But in a rare move, the streaming service is debuting the movie in theaters first, before it hits the platform in mid-December. And, really, you should do everything in your power to see it on the big screen. In fact, try and see it on the biggest screen possible. Because this movie is absolutely jaw dropping.
An epic on a miniature scale, the highly autobiographical film from “Gravity” filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron follows a middle-class family in Mexico City in the early 1970s dealing with heartache, political upheaval, and the day-to-day domestic drama that every family deals with. What makes this story even more captivating is that it’s told through the eyes of the family’s housekeeper Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio, giving one of the year’s best performances even though she’s not a professional actor). You have to see this with an audience in a theater. It just won’t be the same on your iPad.
‘Overlord‘
Paramount
If your family is really annoying you over Thanksgiving, it might be time to watch a little more muscular movie at the multiplex. Perhaps something like “Overlord,” a high-concept World War II romp that features thrills, chills, and the cathartic experience of watching sweaty hunks brutally murder Nazis.
Conceived by mystery box magnate J.J. Abrams, “Overlord” is a hard-core horror movie mixed with an equally hardcore war movie, wherein a group of Allied soldiers (among them Jovan Adepo and Wyatt Russell) parachute into France to take down a radio tower on the eve of D-Day and wind up finding a gnarly zombie conspiracy. You know, that old story. But there are some definite grindhouse pleasures to be had as Nazis get shot, blown-up, and lit on fire and then come back from the dead to do it all again.
In “Gone Girl” and now “Dark Places,” it turns out to be quite a lot when it comes to some of the women.
“It’s funny to me, that idea that female characters have to be likeable,” the bestselling author tells Made in Hollywood. “To me, that should never be the question.”
In the latest movie adaptation of a Flynn book, “Dark Places” has Charlize Theron playing Libby Day, a woman who uncovers secrets behind her family’s brutal murder 25 years ago.
“The question is, are they interesting?” Flynn says of female roles. “And are they somewhat relatable in some sort of way? Are they a human being you can feel for?”
Nicholas Hoult and Chloe Grace Mortez are also part of the film, which hits theaters on Friday. — Written by Dahvi Shira
